NEAIC Spotlight: Middlesex Hospital

Middlesex Hospital in Middletown, CT is a clinical partner of the New England Asthma Innovations Collaborative (NEAIC). Through NEAIC, Middlesex Hospital has been able to expand their pediatric asthma program to include home visiting with Community Health Workers (CHW) and Certified Asthma Educators (AE-C). This allows for in-home asthma self-management education and home environmental assessments with the provision of minor to moderate environmental intervention supplies to mitigate asthma triggers.

At Middlesex Hospital certified asthma educator and APRN, Veronica Mansfield has noticed a significant impact for patients receiving these services in their homes. She shared:

“Having been an asthma educator for many years, I have helped many children and families improve asthma management by demonstrating use of their asthma medication devices, creating asthma action plans, and teaching about environmental triggers, as well as how to avoid them. As a NEAIC partner, we are now able to offer families education and services in their homes — a great addition”.

“The feedback I hear from patients has been so positive. One family member shared with their Middlesex CHW their positive experience using the green cleaning supplies which we provided to help mitigate asthma triggers. Despite the family’s initial skepticism, they tried the green cleaning supplies and noticed positive changes in their daughter’s asthma. They shared that they won’t be going back to their old cleaners, and don’t think they will have any ER visits anytime soon.”

“Another child we met last year was in the ER and hospitalized numerous times due to poorly controlled asthma. After our home visiting services, I received a promising phone call from the child’s school nurse. The nurse reported that though the child had to go home early because of asthma symptoms, the mother took a proactive approach. She told the nurse, “I am going to take my son to the doctor to be checked because his peak flow was a little low this morning.” This was another success story showing the growth in understanding and management of their child’s asthma.”

We look forward to hearing more success stories out of Middlesex Hospital and our other NEAIC clinical partner sites.